Improvement in fence-posts



' just at or near the surface of the ground.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ABRAHAM sHArEER, OF OOLO, IOWA.

IMPROVEMENT IN FENCE-POSTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 198,694, dated December 25, 1877; application liled September 29, 1877.

To all whom 'it may concern;

Beit known that I, ABRAHAM SHAFFER, of Colo, in the county of Story and State of Iowa, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Fence-Posts; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation ofthe same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making apart of this specication, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon. Y

Figure 1 of the drawings isarepresentation of a front view of my fence-post. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view.. Figs. 3 and 4E are sectional detail views 5 and Fig. 5 is a perspective detail of the same.

My invention relates to wire fences; and it consists in the construction of cast-iron posts for the same, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

The annexed drawing, to which reference is made, fully illustrates my invention.

My improved .fence-post is formed of a flat bar, A, with iianges B B projecting rearward from the sides, as shown. These flanges are made tapering at their lower ends on thatportion of the post which isinsertedinthe ground, and the widest portion of said iianges will be From this point the flanges B B may be of the same width to the top, or slightly tapering, if desired, and let the top, the bar A, and anges B B form a solid head, C. On the sides of the post are curved flanges B' B', extending from the bottom upward for a suitable distance, the widest portion of said curved flanges being Ona levelwith the widest portion of the rear flanges B B. On the front of the post thus formed are formed two series of hooks, a and b, on the iiange D. (See Fig. l.) The hooks a curve downward, and the hooks b curve upward, and the ends of the hooks a and b are tapered, so as to form an inclined slot, e, for the passage of the fencewires, and the wires of the fence are passed throughthese hooks, so as to have a support both above and below.

The two series of hooks a and `b may be all formed in one iiange, from top to bottom of the bar A; or each sories may be formed in a separate iiange, D', at or near the sides of the bar A, one of the flanges, D', having a series of hooks, a', projeotin g downwardly, and the other ange, D', a series of hooks, h', projecting upwardly.

In some cases I may only use the upwardlycurved hooks b, the hooks a being entirely dispensed with.

At the corners of the fence I use an L shaped post, G, with -a flange, G', projecting at the angle. The two sides of this post are perforated with a number of holes for the passage of the wires, and is also braced in both directions by means of round braces d d, connecting with short flanged posts I, substan-l tially as shown.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A cast-iron fence-post, consisting of the bar A, rear flanges B B, side flanges B' B', and solid head C, and provided on the front with devices for holding the fence-wires, as set forth.

2. The L-shaped corner-post G, with ange G', in combination with the bracesd and posts I, as and for the purposes herein set forth.

In testimony that I claim the above I haveA hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

ABRAHAM SHAFF-ER.

Witnesses C. W. GRASS, J. W. KINsELL.

D, running centrally j 

